I am not a deposed emperor of Han Dynasty

Chapter 349: Is Father Zhong going to kill the king in public?I bet you don't dare to draw your sword! (Please subscribe)
The reason why Liu He was late today was certainly not because he couldn't get up because he was reading a book with Huo Chengjun too late.

In fact, he wanted to delay time deliberately - to buy some time for Hande, who was heading north, to return to Yunzhong.

Even for an hour, it might have a completely different impact on the overall situation.

"Your Majesty, I have..."

Huo Guang waited for Liu He to finish speaking and immediately planned to play, but was abruptly interrupted again.

"Hey, don't worry, Father Zhong. I had a dream last night. It was very bizarre. Do you three dear friends want to hear it?"

"This..." Huo Guang hesitated for a moment, not knowing what the emperor was going to say.

Liu Hequan pretended that he could not see the hesitant expressions on the faces of these three important court officials, and started talking on his own.

"I dreamed last night that I turned into a Kunpeng, flying in the sky with the Phoenix, and saw the Great Wall in the north of the Great Wall, and the Spiritual Canal in the South..."

Liu He half-closed his eyes and kept talking. He seemed to be intoxicated in the bizarre dream and did not let Huo Guang interrupt at all.

He continued talking for half an hour, until his mouth went dry and he stopped without finishing.

In this half hour, Hande and the others should be able to run another twenty or thirty miles.

Liu He must try his best to hold off Huo Guang and buy some time for Han De and the others.

"I would like to ask my three dear friends, if this dream can be explained by the theory of prophecy, is this dream auspicious or unlucky? Cai Qing, I want to hear your opinion."

"No!" Cai Yi was very proud and immediately dropped his book bag slowly, "The phoenix and the roc are both auspicious beasts, so naturally..."

Cai Yi, an old scholar, perhaps just to show off, couldn't stop talking as soon as he started talking, and rambled on for a whole quarter of an hour.

In the end, I came to the conclusion that this was an "auspicious" event.

Huo Guang saw that the emperor still wanted to delve into this issue, so he ignored the proper etiquette and quickly intervened.

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid I have to put this dream aside for now. I have something important to report."

"Oh? I, Meng Lang, forgot that this is the time for discussion. What does Father Zhong have to report?" Liu He asked, pretending to be confused.

"I wonder if your Majesty has seen the military information I sent yesterday?" Huo Guang asked.

"I have seen it, but Father Zhong was vague and did not explain it thoroughly, so I am still a little confused."

Liu He pretended to pat the non-existent snow on his robe, put away his banter, and suddenly became more majestic as an emperor.

"I was thinking that the victory reports of other armies should be coming soon, so I just wanted to wait and see if I could report them to His Majesty today."

The reasons Huo Guang made up casually were watertight.

"Did Father Zhong wait?" Liu He asked calmly.

"Thanks to your Majesty, at dusk yesterday, the good news of Generals Tian Shun and Tian Guangming was also delivered."

Cai Yi and Bingji on one side were surprised and happy. They did not expect that within one day, the three armies would receive good news.

Regardless of his position, this is really a blessing for this man.

At this time, Bingji secretly looked at the emperor, only to find that the emperor was very calm, as if he was not surprised by such a big thing.

Although Bingji knew the emperor well, he was still anxious at this moment.

Is this emperor confident, or does he not know the importance?
"Is there any new news from Zhao Chongguo's department?" Liu He asked.

Huo Guang wondered why the emperor didn't ask about the three armies mentioned, but why he wanted to ask about Zhao Chongguo's troops?

"Zhao Chongguo's troops left the fortress from Jiuquan, which is the farthest away from Chang'an City. I'm afraid it will take some time to get a good report."

"Well, it seems we have to wait." Liu He seemed to be muttering to himself.

"But your Majesty, don't worry. It's not easy for three of the five armies to achieve victory." Huo Guang controlled the rhythm of the performance very quantitatively.

"Why is Father Zhong's statement so negative?"

"If I remember correctly, Father Zhong was full of confidence before the expedition. It seems that it will be just around the corner for these armies to overthrow the new royal court of the Xiongnu."

The sarcasm in Liu He's words jumped out, making Huo Guang even more confused.

"At this moment, at that moment, the weather in the north of Saibei this year was abnormal. It snowed suddenly, and it was freezing cold. It was inconvenient to march. Without good weather, it would be difficult to achieve a great victory." Huo Guang sighed.

Liu He watched Huo Guang sighing and sneered in his heart.

Liu He could clearly see Huo Guang's tactic of wanting to advance before suppressing it.

What's more, he still had the letter sent by Han Zeng in his hand, which made him more sure that Huo Guang was bluffing.

In the past, Huo Guang was loyal to the Han Dynasty, so it was understandable that he was a little domineering.

Now, he is doing it for his own power, which of course makes people feel disgusted.

"Then since there is hard-won good news, Father Zhong doesn't have to hide it, just present it to me."

"promise!"

Without any further hesitation, Huo Guang took out the already warm chapter notes and military information from his arms and presented them with both hands.

Liu He nodded towards Fan Ke, who walked over to take it and handed it over to the emperor.

"Fan Ke, I heard that you are also literate. I want you to read out this good news and see if you can read it through."

Fan Ke didn't know why the emperor wanted to test him today, but naturally he didn't want to show his cowardice, so he unfolded the chapter and read it aloud.

"Veteran Sima General Huo Guang would like to report to His Majesty the Emperor that the five-pronged army left the northern part of the Great Wall for more than [-] days, sleeping in the open air, suffering from hunger and cold, and the three armies sacrificed their lives..."

After a few words of praise, we came to the core part of the chapter.

"Huya General Tian Shun led his troops in Wuyuan, marched [-] miles out of the fortress, and arrived at the Yuwu River, killing [-] captured Huns and bandits."

"General Fan Mingyou of the Liao Dynasty led his troops to Zhangye, marched [-] miles out of the fortress, and arrived at Xijunji Mountain, killing a thousand captured Huns and bandits.

"Pulei general Tian Guangming led his troops to Xihe, marched [-] miles out of the fortress, and arrived at Dongjunji Mountain, killing [-] captured Huns and bandits."

Fan Ke had just finished reading, and before Cai Yi and Bingji came to their senses, Liu He felt relaxed, happy and angry at the same time.

Mobilizing troops, spending one billion, and planning for half a year—only brought back such pitiful results?

Even if Liu He wanted Huo Guang to hold military power again, it would be impossible. This would be a shame to the people and soldiers of the Han Dynasty!
After a brief silence, Liu He's laughter that echoed through the roof suddenly rang out in the main hall.

"Hahahaha!"

Liu He laughed wildly, laughed wildly, laughed wantonly, and laughed mercilessly.

The laughter caused the snow on the roof to fall rustlingly, and the courtiers in the rooms outside the courtyard were shocked to poke their heads out one by one.

Huo Guang was even more dizzy by the laughter. Could it be that the emperor was suffering from another form of madness?
Cai Yi and Bingji were also at a loss for the moment, completely throwing aside the numbers in the victory report.

Huo Guang felt more and more irritated when he saw the emperor's hilarious expression. In the end, he had to raise his voice and asked sternly: "Why is your majesty laughing!?"

This deep voice could not cover up the emperor's hearty laughter. He seemed to have not heard Huo Guang's words at all and still kept laughing.

"Your Majesty, why are you laughing? Are you making fun of this good news!?" Huo Guang asked again, already a little angry.

This time, Liu He finally stopped, but exaggeratedly wiped a few tears from his laughter with his sleeves.

"Father Zhong, Father Zhong, you ask me why I'm laughing? Of course I'm laughing at the ridiculousness of this good news, and laughing at you, a great general, is so merciful!"

Liu He's words made Huo Guang change his face completely, and Cai Yi and Bingji finally understood what had just happened.

Huo Guang regarded the good news as a treasure, but the result was less than 3000 people?
How could this be considered a great victory? It was simply a humiliating defeat!

"I made it very clear in my memorial that the temperature in northern Saibei dropped sharply this winter and was much colder than in previous years. Many soldiers' hands and feet were frostbitten, and many horses were lost..."

"It is not easy to achieve such a result. Your Majesty is so ridiculous and laughs, I am afraid it will chill the hearts of the soldiers!"

Huo Guang's face was furious, but he was angry with shame, and the shame was even more.

"Father Zhong, as a general, don't you understand what I am laughing at at this moment?" Liu He said with a smile.

"I don't know, I only know that Your Majesty shouldn't laugh!" Huo Guang said as if he was angry.

"What I am laughing at is not the soldiers of the Han army who lived in the open air, but Tian Shun, Tian Guangming and Fan Mingyou."

"They clearly have no merit of any magnitude, yet they act arrogantly and claim that they have made extraordinary achievements. What's the difference between lying about their military exploits and deceiving the emperor!"

Liu He refused to give in and took Huo Guang's life directly and forcefully, leaving no room for the latter to prepare his words in advance.

Huo Guang groaned secretly, never expecting that the emperor would be so direct.However, now he can only bite the bullet and confront the emperor tit for tat.

"Although His Majesty has taken charge of the government, he knows very little about military affairs. He cannot be trusted to talk nonsense and slander the generals who lead the army. This is an insane act that will destroy the Great Wall!"

Huo Guang thought that his momentum could overwhelm the emperor, but he never expected that the emperor's face did not fade and instead gave him a sneer.

"I don't understand military affairs? Father Zhong, please don't forget that I have repeatedly said before that I should not go on an expedition, lest I return without success..."

"Now that my words have been fulfilled one by one, does Father Zhong still want to say that I don't understand military affairs and I don't know how to fight?"

The mocking look on the emperor's face made Huo Guang furious. He stood up immediately, took a step in the direction of the emperor, and pressed his hand with bursting veins on the sword.In this small main hall, there was suddenly an atmosphere of swords and swords.

Huo Guang stood with a livid face. He did not expect that the emperor would deny him with such a tough attitude and did not save him any face.

In addition, he also remembered something strange: the emperor was not surprised by the good news. He seemed to have been prepared for it, so he could handle it with ease.

A few months ago, the emperor did openly obstruct the army's northern expedition again and again. This was something everyone in the court knew.

At that time, all the officials in the dynasty thought that the emperor had just ascended the throne, and all he said were crazy words.

But now looking at what the emperor said that day, it actually makes some sense.

The three light "good news" in Huo Guang's hand didn't have much confidence, and now he felt even more guilty.

He stood in the main hall of the Shangshu Office, facing the emperor's eyes, and his hand on the hilt of the sword never moved away.

After realizing it, Bingji and Cai Yi finally came to their senses, stood up quickly, and half-truthfully stood between Huo Guang and the Emperor.

They looked at Huo Guang with some horror, fearing that the domineering general would pull out his sword on a whim and do something evil.

Cai Yi also had the privilege of going to the palace with swords and shoes, and he also had a sword at his waist. The old man actually put his trembling hand on the hilt of the sword, as if he was going to compete with Huo Guang.

Once Huo Guang attacks, Cai Yi will "protect the Lord with his own body" without hesitation!
On the other side, other people who were attracted by the emperor's laughter also stood in the courtyard, looking into the main hall with wide eyes.

The entire Shangshu Office was immediately plunged into a tense atmosphere.

……

Liu He was not surprised by Huo Guang's reaction.

If Huo Guang didn't respond, Liu He would look down on him.

Liu He stood up calmly and said calmly: "Father Zhong, don't be angry. What I did just now was inappropriate. It was my fault."

Seeing that Huo Guang didn't respond, Liu He seemed dissatisfied and said to Bingji and Cai Yi: "Cai Qing and Bingqing, why are they so panicked? Are they afraid that Father Zhong will not commit regicide in public?"

Bingji and Cai Yilian said they didn't dare, and Huo Guang finally felt that his behavior was a bit rebellious and moved his hand away from the sword.

"My dearest ladies, I feel that standing is too tiring, so I'd better sit down and discuss politics."

"promise."

Liu He sat down, and so did Huo Guang and the others.

After another brief silence, Liu He spoke to break the deadlock.

"I understand what Father Zhong means. What Father Zhong wants to say is that this expedition was due to unfavorable weather conditions, so it was difficult to achieve a great victory. The three generals are worthy of praise for their achievements..."

"Did I mean what Father Zhong meant?"

Huo Guang remained silent for a long time, but finally nodded.

"I sympathize with the hard work of the soldiers on the expedition, and I also know that the failure to achieve a great victory may not be their fault." Liu He deliberately emphasized the word "may not".

His two words relaxed the atmosphere a little.

When he came today, although Huo Guang wanted to label the "accomplishment" of Fan Mingyou and others as a great victory, he also knew that it would not be easy.

Now, after two or three rounds of fighting with the emperor, he realized that this great victory might not be justified.

After taking office, the emperor matured a lot and his character became stronger.

Moreover, the emperor seemed to know something about military affairs and was not easily fooled.

It seemed that he had misjudged the emperor again.

It seems that the only option is to settle for the next best thing - to make meritorious deeds, but to strive for no faults.

"Father Zhong, do you think what I said is reasonable?" Liu He asked.

"Your Majesty is truly a saint for being able to sympathize with the hard work of the frontline soldiers." Huo Guang said lightly, the murderous intent in his eyes subdued.

"But it took half a year of planning, a lot of time and effort, and hundreds of millions of money and food spent..."

"I'm afraid it would be difficult to convince the public if we expose it quietly like this, let alone labeling a failure as a great victory. It would also be even harder to convince the people of the world."

"Whether you kill more than a thousand enemies or kill 19 enemies, all of these must be done with great fanfare and rewards. I'm afraid you will become the laughing stock of the world."

"Father Zhong, do you think what I said makes sense?"

Liu He's sentences here are clear and logical, and the reasons he lays out are irrefutable.

After killing 19 enemies, Huo Guang also felt that his face was dishonored.

That's all, we can only settle for the next best thing.

The images of Tian Guangshun and others flashed before Huo Guang's eyes, and his murderous intent rose again.

What a bunch of trash, letting themselves humiliate themselves in front of the emperor.

"What your Majesty said is absolutely true. I think so too. I was anxious just now and thought about the difficulties of the soldiers, so I behaved disrespectfully in front of the palace. I hope your Majesty will forgive me."

"Father Zhong, there is no need to blame yourself. The Shangshu Office is a place where political affairs are discussed. Disputes are inevitable. As long as you serve justice wholeheartedly, you will be forgiven."

Huo Guang was a little shocked by these four words: "Serve the public whole."

Can he still afford the words "Serve the public wholeheartedly" today?

Huo Guang did not dare to delve into this issue. It seemed that there was something terrible hidden under these four words.

He could only nodded stiffly, acknowledging the emperor's idea.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness."

"As a great general, Father Zhong, how do you think the current situation should be handled?"

Huo Guang sat upright, his previous depression gone.If you have been at the center of the court for a long time, you must have the ability to remain calm.

Cai Yi and Bingji finally let out a long sigh, and all the ministers and censors outside the door also returned to their cabinets.

"The Han army was originally scheduled to return to the fortress on November [-]th..."

"Now that the temperature has dropped sharply, it may be difficult to find results. There is no need to leave the soldiers alone outside the wall. Your Majesty can issue an edict to let them return to the wall in advance."

Huo Guang's words did not really ask Liu He to issue an edict to return the army to the fortress early, but just hinted that the emperor should not hold them responsible for returning to the fortress early.

"According to the report, I agree to let the army return south and return to the fortress ahead of schedule."

Zhao Chongguo, the Minister of the Ministry of War, and Fan Mingyou, the censor of the Ministry of War, were not in Chang'an City, so Huo Guang was still responsible for handling the affairs of the Ministry of War.

"In addition, the soldiers have been away for a long time and are homesick. Your Majesty will also issue an edict and issue a bronze festival to allow the army to return to Chang'an from the border fortress in an orderly manner."

Huo Guang spoke calmly, but he was very nervous inside.

Fan Mingyou and others have no hope of success, so the army and the Huo family's nephews in the army must return to Chang'an quickly.

Become a bargaining chip in your own hands.

The moment the Southern Army and Northern Army, controlled by the Huo family's children, arrived at Chang'an City, Huo Guang was able to advance and retreat freely.

If you advance, you can seize power; if you retreat, you can protect yourself.

Publicly and privately, this is the best choice.

Of course, there are more selfish elements, so Huo Guangcai had to make his tone sound calm to avoid being seen through by the emperor.

After saying this, Huo Guang began to observe the emperor.

The emperor didn't say a word and seemed to be thinking about something, which made Huo Guang feel something bad.

"Your Majesty, do you have any concerns?" Huo Guang asked tentatively.

"I won't allow this."

Liu He spoke so calmly and simply that Huo Guang thought he had heard wrongly.

Didn't you say that military affairs should still be handled by yourself? Why is everything going sour today?
"Your Majesty, I'm afraid I didn't make it clear, but..." Huo Guang actually wanted to explain further.

"Father Zhong, I understand, but I don't allow it!"

Liu He stared at Huo Guang and spoke this sentence word by word, each word carrying a sharp edge.

Yesterday, when Liu He handed over the edict and the copper festival to Han De, he had enough chips in his hands.

You can say "no" to Huo Guang in military affairs.

"Your Majesty, why is this?" Huo Guang even forgot about his anger, but was completely stunned.

Cai Yi and Bingji were also astonished with him.

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(End of this chapter)